Help/advice pls - Aust Post contractor signed for my item & it's missing

[the3coopers]

We've lost a very expensive item that was delivered from the USA via USPS Express last week. Yet the AP tracking shows that it's been signed for!

Last Sunday we arrived back from an Easter Holiday, and it seems that the AP Contractor had come Tuesday 10th at about 7:38am -  there is a hangup on our home Answering Machine (my home phone number is on the vendor's invoice) at that time. The delivery status says delivered at 7:42am.

I phoned AP customer service and they say there's a scrawled signature with my first name on it. I am unable to get a copy, but I've asked the vendor to request it via USPS. I never sign my name that way, and anyway I can easily verify that I wasn't here on that day. The item should have been carded, not dropped.

Item was paid by Paypal, funded by a ANZ Visa Debit card. Theoretically I cannot claim INR since the item was delivered - and it'd be really unfair to chargeback on the vendor since they certainly did deliver something to us.

AP seemed to be saying "too bad", claim back via the vendor. Yet the only reason it's missing is because the AP employee seems to have either delivered to the wrong address or signed for it themselves and left it sitting on our front porch for nearly a week!

So, how on earth should I handle this? The item cost me almost $1000, so it's not a loss that I can "absorb". I'm wondering if anybody has had similar experiences, especially with making a claim against Australia Post for such a loss.

Thanks heaps for any advice you can give me. 🙂

[lane-ends]

I assume of course all your family was away with you and no one was left at home who may have done it out of spite, and denying it.

[*kazumi*]

Did the seller insure it?  They can probably claim, but of-course, that will mean you have to prove you did not sign for it.  If somebody else signed for it they have to print their name and then sign.  It will be interesting to see what the signature looks like.

If the contractor signed their own name and left it, that is not right, but if they actually written your name that is definitely a fraud.

[the3coopers]

There was nobody at home for a whole week, and we had the old guy next door neighbour collecting the mail each day while we were away.

AP customer service says that the scrawled signature was "{my first name}" but I never sign for things that way (I use surname).

No neighbours have signed for it, and contractor should never have delivered it elsewhere anyway. It's a long walk to neighbouring houses, we are on large suburban blocks.

I'd say that the contractor thought that they were being helpful, but it's totally wrong that they've done this and it completely defeats the purpose of a "secure" postage method that must be signed for by the recipient.

[syrupsmummy]

Forging signature is criminal offence. I think you should do to authority.

http://www.australiancriminallawyers.com.au/web/page/VIC_Forgery_using_etc_false_documents_an_indictable_offence

[lane-ends]

sounds like whoever did it has never seeen your signiture, so it shouldnt be too hard to disprove its not yours, given the value, it should be a police matter even if AP are reluctant.

Do you know if packaging would give any clue as to contents or value of item?

[piggylulu61]

I'd want to know if the deliverer ended up with your item, Coops. I agree, you should file a police report for fraud as well as demanding that AP follow up and investigate.

[the3coopers]

Do you know if packaging would give any clue as to contents or value of item?

The package would have the Customs Declaration on it, stating the contents and value (almost $1000). The seller is known to be 100% honest and would not have falsified either the description or value - in fact I actually asked them not to do so.

[lyndal1838]

Donna, I think you are thinking of UPS which is a courier company.

Coops' parcel was sent USPS which is delivered by Australia Post....they do not have a depot here.

Coops, if all else fails...did the seller use a postage method that will give them seller protection?  If so, and AP cannot find the parcel you should do a Not Received claim with paypal and submit a Stat Dec of the events.  Better that paypal should foot the bill than the seller or you.

[the3coopers]

My experience with Australia Post and this delivery is turning into a real mess.

USPS and AP tracked it all the way to my front door. But it was not me who signed for it – seems that the Postal Delivery person has signed for it and dropped it on the doorstep, rather than leaving a card. Then somebody's nicked it, in the 4 days it sat there on full display to the street!

Paypal will NOT cover me because the seller can prove that they shipped to me (and I don't doubt them) and that it's arrived. It's not really "buyer protection" that they offer - it's simply that the seller will fund any losses, but if they can prove shipment then the buyer is stuffed. Paypal claim that they do not cover me against fraud by the carriers themselves!

And Australia Post doesn't cover the reciever against loss. So now I am working with the vendor to try and claim on their US Postal Insurance, and cross-referencing that to a dispute I have just raised via Australia Post. Basically, I have to convince AP to accept liability, but then have the SENDER make the claim via USPS for the value of the loss.

Really messy and annoying, and typical of the types of problems that can happen when you grey import stuff to save a few bucks (it is actually about a $1400 saving off the best price I can get in AU). I don't doubt that it'll get sorted in the end (even if I have to take AP to the Postal Ombudsman), but while that's happening I have no item.

What a disaster of a transaction. :_|

[nouveau_retro]

sorry to hear this has happened with you Coops- what a nightmare.

Both you and the seller have an entitlement to receive an exact copy or printout of the signature that was obtained at time of 'delivery'.

From there you can claim fraudulent use of your ID and it becomes a legal matter (not just consumer) - once you have the signature copy versus your usual signature on any number of cards documents etc (and have this verified by a JP on a stat dec) they may be inclined to rethink the situation.